"The World Cup is 20% soccer and 80% colonial resentment." That line, posted in Portuguese on X, might be the most accurate summary of what is happening to Argentina online right now.
After their dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16, Argentina didn't just advance — they became the tournament's designated villain. Egypt filed a formal complaint with FIFA over disputed VAR decisions. Head coach Hossam Hassan went further, openly suggesting FIFA wanted Messi in the tournament. BBC Sport reviewed the officiating and found the calls controversial but not conspiratorial. None of that mattered much online, where the narrative had already solidified.
This is bigger than one match
The anti-Argentina wave didn't start in the Round of 16. It has been building through overlapping grievances that have very little to do with football and quite a lot to do with history.
Brazil and Argentina have spent over a century fighting for continental dominance. Mexico has had its World Cup ambitions ended by Argentina repeatedly — enough that every meeting now carries the weight of a grudge match. England still hasn't fully processed Maradona, or the Falklands. France is carrying the wound of the 2022 final. And then there is FIFA's baffling decision to appoint an all-Argentine officiating crew for France's quarterfinal against Morocco, which BBC Sport described diplomatically as "not a great look."
Argentina's image within Latin America adds another layer. Historians have written extensively about the country's self-perception as uniquely European within the region — an identity that has long minimized its Black and Indigenous history. That tension didn't stay academic. After Argentina won the 2024 Copa América, the French Football Federation filed a complaint with FIFA over racist and discriminatory chants sung by Argentina players about France's squad. Enzo Fernández apologized. Chelsea opened a disciplinary process. The damage was done.
The iShowSpeed incident and what it signals
At this World Cup, FIFA is investigating allegations of racist abuse directed at YouTube creator iShowSpeed during Argentina's Round of 32 win over Cape Verde, after footage from his livestream appeared to capture an altercation with an Argentina supporter. The investigation is ongoing.
None of this means every Argentina fan holds those views. The squad itself is full of players from diverse backgrounds, and their support base is one of the loudest and most genuinely passionate at any World Cup. But when incidents keep surfacing, and when Argentina's institutional image in Latin America already carries that complicated baggage, it creates a context that shapes how each new controversy gets read.
- Egypt filed a formal FIFA complaint over officiating in the Round of 16
- FIFA assigned an all-Argentine officiating crew to a France vs Morocco quarterfinal
- FIFA is investigating a racist abuse incident involving iShowSpeed at the Cape Verde match
- Argentina players faced a FIFA complaint over racist chants after the 2024 Copa América
So the internet isn't simply rooting against Argentina because they're winning, or because Messi fatigue is real, or because VAR gave them a penalty someone didn't like. It's all of those things compressed into one tournament, landing on a team that carries more historical and cultural freight than almost any other side in the competition. Whether Argentina win or lose from here, that weight travels with them into every match.
